¡Mi travesía hasta Wisconsin!

History & Resources

A History of Wisconsin Immigrants

Grant Funding Available

Wisconsin Humanities administers the only grant program in the state devoted to the public humanities.  Throughout the state, we help bring communities together by supporting projects in schools, libraries, museums, churches, historical societies, colleges and civic groups.

A list of recently funded projects will give you a sense of the kinds of programs the WH supports. In general, projects use humanities expertise to support community engagement and discussion. Programs may not advocate for particular political positions, but may speak directly to current concerns, such as immigration.

WH staff are available to discuss ideas and offer guidance. Learn more about the WH grant program at www.wisconsinhumanities.org/grants.

Fast Facts

  • Less than 5% of the people living in Wisconsin today were born in other countries (American Immigration Council)
  • Today’s immigrants (280,000 people out of Wisconsin’s population of 5.84 million) come  from over 100 countries (U.S. Census Bureau).
  • In addition, 6.6% of people in Wisconsin are native-born Americans with at least one immigrant parent (data from 2016).
  • In 2014, immigrant families in Wisconsin had $6.6 billion in spending power and paid $822 million in state and local taxes (New American Economy).
  • Immigrant workers made up 5.9% of the Wisconsin labor force in 2015. Immigrants filled nearly a quarter of the positions in Wisconsin’s farming, fishing, and forestry industries (American Immigration Council).
  • Download a PDF of the Fact Panel from the exhibit here.

Books about Immigration

Global Migration to Wisconsin